There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 496 The Tartars finally escaped.
After discussing the affairs of Ryukyu and Satsuma, the specific details were discussed and drafted by the cabinet, so Nie Yu didn't need to be involved personally.

The hall was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood incense, and the candlelight crackled.

"Minister Xu," Nie Yu paused, then suddenly spoke, "I know you have just returned from your mission overseas and have worked very hard, but the Court of State Ceremonies is newly established and there are very few capable people available..."

Xu Mingyu's heart skipped a beat, knowing that he had been asked to do something again. He quickly said, "Your Majesty, please speak freely. I will do my utmost to share Your Majesty's burdens!"

He was the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. His superior, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, usually stayed in the capital, so only the Vice Minister and his subordinates could go out on missions.

The fact that His Majesty is speaking to him like this clearly indicates that he has something for him to do, and it must be something important involving an envoy to a foreign vassal state.

As expected, Nie Yu quickly said, "The Western Route Army has already opened up the Yunnan-Guizhou border. Although it has not yet taken over the entire Yunnan-Guizhou region, it can now communicate with Tibet. Although Tibet is vast and sparsely populated, and mostly inhabited by Tibetan minorities, it is still part of our Chinese land. I now need Minister Xu to go to Tibet on my behalf to see the Tibetan people and their attitude."

Although the Qing dynasty recovered Tibet (formerly the Ming dynasty's Ü-Tsang Commandery) very early on, its rule over Tibet remained in a state of subjugation for a long time.

Don't say that the Qing Dynasty had a Resident Minister in Tibet, because they only had a Resident Minister in Tibet. The Qing army stationed in Tibet consisted of only 1000 Green Standard Army soldiers, who were evenly distributed among various river valley cities.

On average, each town in the Tibetan valleys can only muster fewer than 60 or 70 Green Standard Army troops.

Of these, the number of Tibetan soldiers nominally under the command of the Qing Resident Minister in Tibet was as high as 2500. And that's not all, because these were only Tibetan soldiers nominally incorporated into the Qing court; the Tibetan nobles, monasteries, and other groups also had their own private armies.

These private soldiers did not obey the Qing court, just as the population and slaves of Tibet were not under the control of the Qing.

The Qing dynasty had only one requirement for ruling Tibet: to maintain stability and prevent rebellions.

Therefore, the only relatively acceptable thing the Qing government did was to indirectly control Tibet by controlling the laws of reincarnation and the Tibetan people, so as to prevent Tibetan nobles from rebelling against the Qing.

Just recently, Nanjing received a secret telegram from the Western Route Army of Yunnan and Guizhou.

The secret telegram contained only one sentence: The Tibetan leaders have rebelled, killed the Qing dynasty's resident minister in Tibet, and seized control of Tibet.

This is why Nie Yu suddenly sent Xu Mingyu, who had just returned from his missions to Ryukyu and Japan, on another long journey to Tibet, because they simply couldn't spare the manpower.

The Court of State Ceremonies was newly established, and most of its members had no experience in serving as envoys to foreign vassal states.

This is not surprising. Although the Han Dynasty has been established for more than six years, Nie Yu has only been emperor for less than two years. The country is not yet fully unified, so there is indeed no need for foreign diplomacy.

Things should get much better in another year or two, but now there's an emergency in Tibet, so Xu Mingyu has to make the difficult trip again.

The Tibetan rebellion, in which the Qing dynasty's resident minister in Tibet was killed, was a good thing.

But their separatist rule over Tibet is a bad thing.

Upon hearing His Majesty's account of the situation in Tibet, Xu Mingyu was also astonished. The Tibetan rebels and their accomplices had actually dared to kill the resident minister in Tibet and rebel, and had even established a separatist regime in Tibet.

How could these monks from Tibet in the Western Regions be so bold?
In reality, this was not entirely due to the audacity of the Tibetan people; the establishment of the Han dynasty also had a butterfly effect.

The Han dynasty's ascension to the throne in Nanjing two years ago had a profound political impact.

Leaving aside the later turmoil in the north, the morale of the Qing army in southwestern Sichuan plummeted.

Facing the attacks of Zhang Zhengmo, the Marquis of Shu of the Han Dynasty, the Qing army in Sichuan suffered more defeats than victories, if not repeated ones. Despite having roughly the same number of troops as Zhang Zhengmo, and even holding an advantage in the early stages, the Qing forces in Sichuan found themselves losing territory and becoming increasingly unable to hold their ground as the fighting progressed.

Even the local militias in Sichuan were somewhat disobedient to the orders of Yancheng, the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi.

Although these local militias did not switch allegiance to the Han army, they immediately surrendered when the Han army came, and remained independent when the Han army did not come, completely ignoring the Qing government.

The Qing army's setbacks in Sichuan have already affected the situation in Tibet.

When the Qing Dynasty was powerful, the Tibetan people naturally dared not act recklessly. They were allowed to go to Beijing to worship Buddha, and they did so. However, when the Qing court said they were not allowed to reincarnate at will, they would proactively request permission from the Qing court to reincarnate.

The Qing dynasty is clearly in decline now. The Qing dynasty, which had always been suppressed by the Qing court, will certainly not continue to obey the orders of the Resident Minister in Tibet.

The Qing Resident Minister in Tibet had 1000 Green Standard Army troops under his command, while the Qing troops concentrated in Lhasa City numbered less than 500.

What can 500 people do?
Therefore, as soon as the ** and ** jointly issued the Buddhist decree, the nobles in Tibet immediately "rose up in rebellion," and the allied forces of over 10,000 broke into the residence of the Qing Resident Minister in Tibet, killing the Qing Resident Minister and 500 Qing soldiers stationed there.

Then, the noble coalition marched west to the Jinsha River, driving out and killing all the Manchu soldiers west of the Jinsha River.

Tibet was completely out of control, and even the Tea Horse Road, which was barely passable before, was cut off by Tibetan nobles.

Xu Mingyu did not complain about the remoteness of Tibet and the perilous situation. Instead, he cupped his hands and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree. I will treat it with sincerity and live up to Your Majesty's grace."

Nie Yu nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Lin Zexu.

Lin Zexu, a young man who ranked third in the imperial examinations, was still young and impetuous. When he saw the emperor looking over, he immediately straightened his back and became stern and fearless.

Nie Yu said, "Young Lin, you should have heard what Junior Minister Xu just said. Ryukyu has just been restored, and the islanders have only recently submitted. The people's hearts are not yet settled. You are a newly appointed third-ranked scholar, with brilliant writing skills and a deep understanding of the people's suffering. Therefore, I appoint you as the magistrate of Ryukyu County." He then changed his tone slightly, "Ryukyu is far overseas, unlike the stable Tibet. The land there is treacherous, and there are also disturbances from the Satsuma Domain and Japanese pirates. You must use benevolence to pacify the people and an iron fist to quell the chaos. Do not fail my expectations!"

"Your Majesty's decree shall be obeyed!"

Upon hearing the emperor's words that he was to be sent to Ryukyu as a county magistrate, Lin Zexu did not feel the disappointment of being "exiled." Instead, a spark ignited in his eyes.

Lin Zexu was still very young. The reason he rushed to participate in the imperial examination of the Han Dynasty was both to enter the official career of the new dynasty as soon as possible and to make full use of his ambitions.

Previously, under the rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the imperial examination was almost a "game" for Manchus and the wealthy and powerful, and it was almost impossible for someone as poor as him to join the "game".

That's why it's necessary to keep a low profile and even get some external help; otherwise, even if you're extremely talented, you can forget about passing the imperial examination.

Zuo Zongtang's reconquest of Xinjiang was not only due to his own persistence, but also to the support and assistance of Lin Zexu.

Although Lin Zexu did not directly promote Zuo Zongtang, the two talked and became close friends despite their age difference, which was enough to gain the support of Lin Zexu's former subordinates and colleagues in officialdom.

No matter how honest, just, and capable an official is, they can't escape factionalism.

It's almost impossible to avoid factions based on hometown, mentorship, classmates, or even political views.

If you want to completely bypass it, it's not impossible, but you can only become like Hai Rui.

Hai Rui, the upright official, lived a solitary and carefree life.

Because he was so incorruptible and had no flaws or scandals, his colleagues in officialdom and the local gentry could not do anything about him. In the end, they could only spend money to buy him an official position and transfer him away to cause trouble in other places.

The two finally exited the palace gates together. Hearing the creaking sound of the palace gates closing behind them, it was already late at night. The two had been kept at the imperial palace for dinner before they came out.

The cold night wind made Xu Mingyu's official robes flutter loudly.

He looked up at the somewhat simple palace. Outside the palace walls, the twilight was vast, and he could almost see the prayer flags of the Tibetan snowfields. He unconsciously rubbed his fingers together.

Looking at Lin Tanhua beside him... no, he should now be called Magistrate Lin. Although the official appointment has not yet been made, His Majesty's word is law, and the position of Magistrate of Ryukyu County is a done deal.

The magistrate of Ryukyu was merely a magistrate of a vassal state, possessing greater power than the magistrate of the Ryukyu Kingdom, but his rank was lower.

This is due to the special status of the Ryukyu prefectural magistrate. Before the Ryukyu king formally ceded territory, the Ryukyu prefectural magistrate had to be one rank lower than the prefectural magistrate of the Ryukyu kingdom.

But none of that matters anymore. A magistrate of Ryukyu Prefecture, after being sent away for three years, returned and immediately rose through the ranks.

Moreover, Magistrate Lin is not yet twenty years old this year, which is the prime of his life. As long as he doesn't cause any major problems, get involved in political infighting, or engage in corruption and bribery, he will definitely have a place in the future central government.

Xu Mingyu cupped his hands slightly and said, "Lin Tanhua, it's not dark yet, you should go back as soon as possible, lest you can't find your way when it gets dark."

Lin Zexu returned the greeting, saying, "Thank you for the reminder. Please take care, Vice Minister Xu."

After Xu Mingyu left, Lin Zexu looked up at the sky and murmured, "Governor of Ryukyu, His Majesty desires great prosperity for Ryukyu, so I will first bring great prosperity to Ryukyu."

After saying that, he also swept over the palace wall and headed towards the temporary residence arranged by the court for the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).

……

A month later.

Xu Mingyu, accompanied by officials from the Han delegation, set off by boat, intending to take a longer route to Yunnan and Guizhou first, and then pass through Yunnan and Guizhou to Tibet.

Lin Zexu arrived earlier than him, because Lin Zexu was not from Nanjing and his family and relatives were all in Fujian, so he did not stay in Nanjing for long.

Once the Ministry of Personnel officially appointed him, Lin Zexu took the initiative to set off, taking with him the officials and clerks assigned to him by the Ministry of Personnel, and headed south to Fujian.

They would board the ship in Fujian, resupply at the Taiwan government, and then go directly to Okinawa to take up their posts.

Nie Yu appointed Xu Mingyu as envoy to Tibet because there weren't many capable people available, and Xu Mingyu had just returned from missions to Ryukyu and Japan, so he had experience as an envoy to foreign territories.

The appointment of Lin Zexu as the magistrate of Ryukyu was due to both the historical figure factor and the fact that Lin Zexu was from Fujian.

Because the Kume Han people in Ryukyu are also descendants of Fujianese, the Chinese they speak generally has a strong Fujian accent.

Xu Mingyu had previously reported that he almost wouldn't have understood the Fujian dialect if he hadn't learned it from Fujian merchants, so the new county magistrate should also be able to understand some Fujian dialect.

Therefore, sending Lin Zexu to serve as the magistrate of Ryukyu County would not only allow the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) to gain experience and serve as a role model for the third-ranked Jinshi to take the initiative to go overseas to the barbarians, but also allow the Fujian magistrate to govern the Fujianese people, so at least there would be no language barrier.

Not long after the two set off, the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of this year were also assigned official positions by the Ministry of Personnel.

Because the devastation in the north was so severe, the Ministry of Personnel made a special request to the emperor to allow newly appointed scholars to go directly to places like Henan, Shandong, and Jiangbei.

While observing and learning about politics, they also helped their superiors with miscellaneous tasks, filling the gaps in official positions in these decadent areas.

After some deliberation, Nie Yu picked up his brush and wrote in vermilion ink: "Approved. This is a special wartime appointment and should not be followed in future generations."

Before he could approve a few memorials, a female attendant came in to report: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Liu, Minister Wang of the Ministry of War, and Minister Gu of the Ministry of Rites have jointly requested an audience."

"Xuan!"

Not long after, the three entered the hall.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

The three of them bowed in unison.

Nie Yu put down the memorial in his hand and said, "No need for formalities, please take a seat."

After the three men were seated, Nie Yu asked, "Have you three ministers come to see me in such a hurry today? Has something serious happened?"

As soon as the question was asked, Wang Ruoyu, who had been waiting impatiently, replied excitedly: "Your Majesty, it's fantastic news! Our spies have reported that the Manchus... no, the Tartars, have already withdrawn from Beijing."

Upon hearing this news, Nie Yu raised an eyebrow. Although he had been somewhat prepared, he was still surprised to hear the confirmed information: "Has the Manchu Qing really abandoned Beijing?"

Liu Jun added: "It is absolutely true. We have received the news and confirmed it with the front line. As long as our spies have not been captured by the Tartars, it should be true." After saying that, he added: "Moreover, it should not be a deliberate scheme by the Tartars. Beijing is the capital of the country. If the Tartars can really use this as bait, then they are just blinded by greed before their demise."

Indeed, the Han people are now so confident that they are completely unafraid of any conspiracies or tricks of the Manchus.

The Qing dynasty's crushing defeats on the battlefields of Shandong and Henan have completely extinguished any hope of a comeback.

After all, the Han Dynasty had occupied the wealthy regions of Jiangnan and Huguang, and now it had also taken over Shandong and Henan, two vital northern territories, which meant that it had almost completely eroded the remaining war potential of the Qing Dynasty.

Even the remaining Shaanxi region was under attack by the White Lotus Rebellion and was already preoccupied with its own problems. Shanxi was also plagued by internal strife and was almost certainly unable to provide the Qing Dynasty with any more troops or revenue.

If the Manchus didn't run away by then, they would be truly formidable.

Now that they knew the Manchus had withdrawn from Beijing, the Han Chinese side naturally couldn't just stand by and watch; they had to take appropriate action.

Gu Jing spoke at the opportune moment: "Now that the Tartars have withdrawn from Beijing, the Mandate of Heaven, which has been usurped for a century, has returned to China. Our Great Han Dynasty, inheriting the legitimate Mandate of Heaven, is rising and should seize this opportunity to launch a northern expedition, recover Beijing, and demonstrate the Mandate of Heaven for our Great Han!"

As the Minister of Rites, Gu Jing cared most about the symbolic significance of Beijing, the capital of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, which was even more politically significant than Nanjing.

Leaving aside distant examples, let's talk about more recent ones. In the late Ming Dynasty, after Li Zicheng and the Manchu Qing successively captured Beijing, they both quickly became corrupt.

Li Zicheng's practice of extorting and plundering was completely unlike that of an emperor.

The Manchus went even further, simply seizing land in Beijing and issuing a shaving order to force Han gentry who had surrendered to rebel.

The situation was as if Beijing possessed a special magic; anyone who stayed there would become blinded by greed, believing that they had conquered Beijing and were now the ruler of the world.

The whole world should obediently obey its will.

(End of this chapter)